Dr. Tanya Altmann

02/05/2026

LA County is investigating 3 confirmed measles cases. The good news: they’re unrelated, linked to recent travel, and no community spread has been identified yet.

Still, measles is extremely contagious and symptoms can take up to 21 days to appear. We’ve seen how quickly it can spread in areas with lower immunity.

What to know:
• Symptoms: fever, rash, cough, runny nose, red eyes, especially if unvaccinated
• If you suspect measles: isolate and contact your doctor or public health
• You’re protected if: you’ve had 2 MMR doses, positive titers, or were born before 1957
• Early vaccination: may be recommended in certain situations – ask your pediatrician

California isn’t considered high risk right now, but staying informed and up to date matters 💙

02/03/2026

Tuberculosis is back in the headlines after a recent California high‑school outbreak, but it’s not something you’ll catch from a quick hallway hello. 👋  It spreads only after prolonged indoor exposure to someone with active disease.

The good news? TB is treatable and preventable when caught early. If your child was in the school, follow your local health‑department’s guidance. If anyone (including you) has a lingering cough or those classic symptoms, talk to your pediatrician and get tested.

02/02/2026

Red cheeks + nonstop hand chewing? That’s often teething!

Teeth don’t just pop in overnight; they move under the gums first, which is why symptoms can come and go for weeks before you see a tooth.

Hand chewing, drooling, rosy cheeks, and mild fussiness is common. On the other hand, if you observe a high fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or a baby who seems truly sick, call your pediatrician.

video credit: (TikTok)

02/01/2026

You may be seeing headlines about Nipah virus, so here’s what parents should know. It’s a very rare but serious virus linked to outbreaks in parts of South and Southeast Asia. It’s carried by fruit bats and can spread through contaminated food, infected animals, or very close contact while caring for someone who’s sick, not through casual contact like passing someone in public.

Symptoms often start like a typical viral illness but can progress to breathing problems and brain inflammation. Even with its high severity, outbreaks have been rare and localized.

There are no cases or community spread in the U.S., and the overall risk for families here remains extremely low. This is something to be aware of, not alarmed about.

01/23/2026

A recently published review in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Women’s Health (January 2026) looked at dozens of studies and data from over one million children and found no credible evidence linking acetaminophen (Tylenol) use in pregnancy to autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability.

What does this mean for pregnant patients today? First, don’t suffer in silence. Untreated fever and significant pain during pregnancy can carry risks, too. Use acetaminophen at the lowest effective dose for the shortest time, and talk with your OB or midwife if you need it frequently. Don’t automatically switch to other OTC pain relievers without guidance as some alternatives are not recommended in pregnancy.

Bottom line: For occasional pain or fever, acetaminophen remains the go-to option in pregnancy.

01/21/2026

You may have seen the headlines about whole and 2% milk being allowed back in schools. And while that’s getting a lot of attention, here’s the pediatrician perspective: milk has always been a solid nutrition option for kids.

Milk, whether whole, 2%, low-fat, or skim, provides high-quality protein, calcium, vitamin D, potassium, and other nutrients that support growing bones, muscles, and brains. Different kids need different things, and that’s exactly why multiple options matter.

And if a child doesn’t drink milk at all, because of an allergy, intolerance, preference, or family choice, that’s okay too. Even chocolate milk can have a place. If a little flavor helps kids actually drink a nutrient-dense food, that trade-off can make sense within the bigger picture.

Which brings me to the real question: why are we turning nutrition into rigid rules? Healthy eating works best when it’s flexible, individualized, and focused on overall patterns, not food fear or one-size-fits-all policies.

01/20/2026

Public health officials are responding to a growing measles outbreak in South Carolina, where cases have surged and hundreds of families are now impacted by quarantine. This is exactly what we see when vaccination rates drop.

Measles is one of the most contagious viruses. In under-vaccinated communities, it spreads fast and is very difficult to contain once it starts.

One important thing many families don’t realize: if an unvaccinated child is exposed, they must quarantine for 21 days – missing school, activities, and often work for parents.

Here in California, we’ve seen isolated cases that haven’t spread. That’s not luck, it’s high vaccination rates creating community immunity that helps stop outbreaks.

This outbreak has now been ongoing for over a year, raising concerns about losing measles elimination status in the United States. And measles isn’t mild; it can cause pneumonia, brain inflammation, hospitalization, and even death, especially in young children.

If you have questions, talk with your pediatrician. Prevention is always easier than outbreak control.



01/20/2026

https://www.facebook.com/61567081799062/posts/122202368180569393/?mibextid=wwXIfr

For Parents, Teachers & Professionals

01/19/2026

This is heartbreaking.

We are now at 32 pediatric flu deaths this flu season, and about 90% were in unvaccinated children.

Influenza is not just a fever and a cough. In kids, it can lead to respiratory distress, pneumonia, sepsis, ICU admissions, and tragically, death.
One of the simplest ways to reduce severe illness is the flu vaccine, approved for kids starting at 6 months old. It doesn’t always prevent infection, but it dramatically reduces how sick children get. I can often tell who’s been vaccinated just by how mild their symptoms are.

If your child has high fever, severe fatigue, trouble breathing, or isn’t drinking, don’t wait. Call your pediatrician.

There are at-home tests and early treatments that can shorten illness and reduce spread, especially when started quickly.

I’ll never force a decision, but as a pediatrician, this is one vaccine I strongly believe makes a real difference.

Flu season isn’t over yet. Please stay safe. 🤍

01/19/2026

Taking a walk down memory lane to 2016. That was the year What to Feed Your Baby was released, my days were filled with media appearances, and my boys were still so little! Somewhere in the middle of all that, I even ended up on magazine cover and in Getty Images!

Ten years later, the kids are bigger, the work has evolved, and I’m grateful I get to look back and see how far we’ve come.

#2016

01/16/2026

A sneak peak behind the scenes of my time on ! I spoke about hidden dangers in your home and how to create a kid-safe environment. You can watch the full segment on my page. Thank you for having me!